High speed cigarette cutter



Nov. 29, 1932. w FORBES 1,889,403

HIGH SPEED CIGARETTE GUTTER Original Filed Jan. 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Shet 1 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY Nov. 29, 1932. w. G. FORBES HIGH SPEED CIGARETTE CUTTER Original Filed Jan. 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wm n n l yl M ATTO EY Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES insane WILLIAM. G. FORBES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HIGH SPEED CIGARETTE CUTTER Application filed January 26, less, Seria1 No, 83,831. Renewed March 1s, 1923.

My invention relates to cut-off mechanisms for cigarette machines wherein the tobacco is automatically fed into a. continuous strip, of

paper to form a continuous closed tobacco 5 tube, which tube is cut into the required lengths to form the cigarettes.

My invention more particularly relates to a high speed cutter which will materially in- V A crease the output of such a cigarette machine,

with no additional expense other than substituting my high speed rotary cutter and accessory parts, for the ordinary rocking or reciprocating rotary cutter now in common hp, I V Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan-view of my high speed cigarette cutter and that portion Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cigarette cutter shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one form of knife which I preferably employ;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a clamping plate employed to clamp the knife on the cut-' of a cigarette machine upon which I mount Fig. 7 is a plan view of the cutter disc, knife and cigarette tube showing the knife cutting the tube;

Fig. 8 is a plan view, similar to Fig. 7, but

showing the position of the knife after it has 55 10 looking in the direction of the arrows.

My invention is directed to providing a novel and useful cigarette cut-oft mechanism adapted to cut cigarette lengths from an axially moving cigarette tube or rod. The mechanism of the invention provides an exceedingly simple, inexpensive and efiicient. cut-01f mechanism which is adapted to sever cigarettes at speeds very much higher than is possible with existing machines. In addition to its greatly increased speed of opera- 7 tion, the mechanism provides a clean shear cutacross the axis of moving cigarette rod without the slightest retardation or buckling of the rod.

One of the broad objects of myinvention is to provide an efficient cut-off mechanism operating by purely rotary movement as distinguished from known machines wherein a reciprocating, rocking or other translatory movement is imparted to the cutting blade c in order to make a straight line out across the moving rod. In accordance with this object, the invention provides a knife or blade adapted to revolve in a circular path, while the cigarette rod is moved axially across the 93 face of the circle described by the knife. The cutting edge of the knife itself is so shaped or positioned with respect to the movement of revolution and with respect to the moving cigarette rod, that said cutting edge or element progresses along the line of movement of the cigarette rod during the cutting action although the bodily move-' ment of the knife itself is purely one of revolution. Accordingly, the knife may be revolved at exceedingly high speeds and will operate efficiently at such speeds because there is no rocking or stopping and starting movement or other eccentricity in the operation of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and useful form of knife or cutter blade which is adapted to cooperate with the novel cut-off mechanism hereinbefore described.

By my invention I form a simple and economical high speed cigarette cutter which will cut approximately a thousand or more cigarettes a minute, with a substantially straight-line cut, thereby materially increasing the output of a cigarette machine, and in many instances dou ling it.

It will be understood that the foregoing general descrip'ion and the following detailed description as well, are exemplary and illustrative of the invention, but are not restrictive thereof.

In the two illustrative embodiments of my invention shown in the drawings, but to which my invention is not to be limited except as defined by my claims, 1 is a cutter disc provided with a peripheral notch or recess 2 to receive the knife 3 held in the notch by the clamping plate 4 by means of screws 8, 8 (Fig. 1). This knife 3 (Fig. 3) has a cutting edge 5, which extends laterally out from the cutting disc 1, and is inclined from the point 6 to the point 7. The cutter disc is provided with a hub 9, which is keyed by the key 10 to the axle 11, which is driven in any suitable manner, not shown. This axle is mounted in a bearing or sleeve 12 moving in a guide 13 in the frame 14 of the cigarette machine. Brackets 15, 15 are secured to the frame of the machine by the screws 16, 16.

These brackets are screw-threaded to cooperate with the adjusting bolts 17, 17 which have the lock nuts 18, 18.

Mounted on the side of the machine is the fixed ledger plate 19, having the blade opening 20. This ledger plate 19 is secured to the frame 14 in any suitable manner as by the casting or bracket 50, and the screws 52, 52. The bracket is preferably provided with the strengthening rib 51. The adjusting bolts 17, 17 serve to adjust the cutter disc 1 so that the knife 5 will correctly coact with the ledger plate 19.

The continuous filled and sealed cigarette tube or rod 21 is propelled at high speed into the fixed guide 24 and thence through the fixed ledger plate 19 by the feed belt 22 passing over the feed wheel. 23. iVhen a portion suflicient for one cigare te has passed through this ledger plate 19, the small end 6 of the knife 3 begins to sever the cigarette tube as shown in the diagram in Fig. 6. As the knife, revolving at high speed, passes through and completely severs the cigarette tube to form a cigarette, the active cutting edge of the knife 5 has traveled from the point 26 to the point 27, which exactly corresponds to the forward movement of the cigarette tube, as shown in the diagram of Fig. 6, thereby preventing any buckling or marring of the cigarette tube or of the severed cigarettes 28, 28. After the cigarettes have been out they pass along the fixed guide 29, which may be held to the frame in any suitable manner as by the bracket 30, and are collected in the well known manner for subsequent packing.

In the modification of my invention shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11, I employ a rotating cutting disc 31 having a knife 3 secured to it in the same manner as in the preceding form. In this construction, however, I employ a reciprocating ledger plate 32, its reciprocation being controlled by the cutter disc 31 with which it is synchronized. This may be done in various ways. I have shown, for example, the cutter disc 31 provided with a cam groove 33 for the reception of a roller 34 carried by a plate 35, which plate has an arm 36 to which is secured the reciprocating ledger plate 32 in any sui able manner such as by the screw Any suitable mounting for the plate ()C. may be en'iployed. I have shown, for example, the bracket 38 secured to the frame- 14 y screws 39, 39,the bracket being provided with a ball bearing groove 40 for the reception of the balls 41. Mounted on the bracket 38 is a cover plate 42 secured to it by means of screws 43, 43. This cover plate is also provided with a ball bearing groove 44 for the balls 45. The plate 35 is provided with the ball bearing groove 46 to cooperate with'the balls and with the ball bearing groove 47 to cooperate with the balls 41. It is clear that the rotation of the cutter disc 31 will, by means of the cam groove 33 and roller 34 mounted therein, cause the plate- 35 with its arm 36 to reciprocate back and forth, and carry witlrit the reciprocating ledger plate 32-so that the ledger plate will always be in proper relation or synchronized with the cutter disc 31 and more particularly with the knife 3.

The cutting or severing ofthe cigarette tube into the required lengths to form cigarettes is exactly thesame in this form as in the other, except that in this form the ledger plate reciprocates in the manner described.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described, but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of'the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a high speed cigarette cutter, the combination of a rotary cutter disc provided with an arcuate knife of substantially uniform thickness extending from its side.

2. In a high speed cigarette cutter, the combination of a rotary cutter disc provided with a knife of substantially uniform thickness extending from its side, one end of said knife being nearer than the other to the axis of rotationof said disc.

3. In a high speed cigarette cutter, the

Combination of a rotary cutter disc provided wlth an arcuate knife of substantially 11111- form thickness extending from its side, the

advancing end of said knife lying radially beyond the other end of said knife with respect to the axis of rotation of said cutter disc.

4. A cigarette cut-off mechanism including in combination a rotary disc carrying a cigarette cut-off blade, means for guiding a cigarette rod across the face of the disc, the distance of said guiding means from the face of the disk being different at different points in its extent whereby the revolving blade intersects the guiding means at one point and clears it at another.

5. A cigarette cutoff mechanism including in combination a knife of substantially uniform thickness revolving in a, circular path, and means for feeding a cigarette rod across the face of the circle described by the knife, all rectilinear elements of the knife lying in planes substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the cigarette rod.

6. A cigarette cut-off mechanism including in combination a rotary disc carrying a cigarette cut-ofi blade of substantially uniform thickness extending from its face, means for feeding a cigaretterod across the face of the disc, all rectilinear elements of said blade lying in planes substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the cigarette rod.

7. In a cigarette cut-off mechanism the combination of a rotary supporting body provided with a knife extending from its face, the cutting edge of the knife being inclined to the face of the supporting body.

8. Cut-01f mechanism for continuous rod cigarette machines, comprising a rotary body, a knife of substantially uniform thickness projecting therefrom at a right angle to the plane of rotation thereof, said knife being curved and set eccentrically with respect to the center of rotation of the body, and means for supporting the rod during the cutting operation. 1 v v 9. A cigarette cut-off mechanism including in combination a knife, means for revolving said knife in a circular path, means for moving a cigarette rod in the direction of its length across the face of the circle described by the knife, the knife being mounted eccentric to said circle and the eccentricity thereof being so related to the longitudinal velocity of the rod that the cutting edge of the knife travels with the cigarette rod and cuts the rod on a section substantially perpendicular to the axis thereof.

10. A cigarette cut-off mechanism including in combination a rotatableknife-support ing'body, a knife carried thereby and projecting therefrom substantially at a right angle to the plane of rotation thereof, means for moving a cigarette rod in the direction of its length across the face of the circle described by the knife, the knife being mounted 'eccen-' tric to said-circle and the eccentricity thereof being so related to the'longitudinal velocity of the rod that the cutting edge of the knife travels with the cigarette rod and cuts the rod on a section substantially perpendicular to the axis thereof. I 11. A cigarette cut-off mechanism including in combination a rotatableknife-supporting body, mounted to rotate in a fixed and purely circular path, a knife carried thereby and projecting therefrom substantially at a right angle to the plane of rotation thereof,

means for moving a cigarette rod in the ditudinal velocity of the rod that the cutting edge of the knife t'ravels'with the cigarette rod andcuts the rod on a section substantially perpendicular to the axis thereof. 1

I 12. A cigarette cut-oif mechanism including in combination a rotatable knife-supporting body, a knife carried thereby and projecting therefrom substantially at a right angle to the plane of rotation thereof, means for moving a cigarette rod in the direction of its length across the face of the circle described by the knife, and in a plane parallel to that of said circle, the knife being mounted eccentric to said circle and the eccentricity thereof being so related to the longitudinal velocity of the rod that the cutting edge of the knife travels with the cigarette rod and cuts the rod on a section substantially perpendicular to the axis thereof.

13. A cigarette cut-off mechanism including in combination a knife-carrying body mounted to rotate in a circular path, a knife projecting from the plane of rotation of said body, means for feeding a cigarette rod across the face of the circle described by the knife, the entering portion of the knife edge being positioned farther from the center of said circle than is the portion of the knife which makes the final cut, whereby the cutting edge of the knife travels with the cigarette rod during the cutting thereof.

- 14:. A cigarette cut-off mechanism including in combination a rotatable knife-supporting body, a knife projecting from the plane of rotation of said body, means for feeding a cigarette rod across the face of the circle described by the knife, different portions of the knife edge beingpositioned at different distances from the center of said circle, whereby ea H) the cutting edge of the knife travels with the cigarette rod during the cutting, thereof;

15. A cigarette cut-ofl" mechanism. including in combination a rotatable, knife-supporting body, a knife havingv a relatively thin,

flexible blade projecting. from the plane of rotation'of saidbody, means-for feeding a cigarette rodacross the face of the circle; vdescribed by the knife, the knife blade being curved so that different portions of the knife edge are positioned at difierent distances from the center of said circle, whereby the 1 cutting edge of the knife travelswith the cigarette rod during the cutting thereof.

16. A cigarette cut-01f mechanism including in combination a rotatable knife-supporting body, a knife projecting from the plane of rotation of said body, means for feeding a cigarette rod across the face of the circle described by the knife, diiferent portions of the knife edge being positioned at different distances from the center of said circle, whereby the cutting edge of the knife travels with the cigarette rod during the cutting thereof, and said knife being tapered axially with respect to the rotatable body, whereby the cutting edge gradually bitcsinto thecigarette.

In testimony whereof, I have signed mV name to this specification.

W; G. FORBES. 

